Craigavon & District Pipe Band Championships

Yesterday the Craigavon & District Pipe Band Championships took place in Lurgan on what can only be described as a sweltering hot day, writes Gilbert Cromie.

The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Alderman Gareth Wilson, was the Chieftain of the Day and in his remarks he congratulated everyone involved in putting on a great day’s entertainment and singled out RSPBA NI Branch Trophy Officer Roy McCullough for the gleaming array of trophies which were about to be presented. The above picture shows the Salute to the Chieftain and the Massed Bands.

The main organisers of the competition, the County Down Section, remembered those from the pipe band fraternity who has passed away since last year with Ian Burrows playing a suitable lament. The Cordiner family presented a trophy in memory of Bobby Cordiner a member of Marlacoo Pipe Band for some 60 years and also the local Territorial Army band. The Section’s annual draw for a set of Peter Henderson Bagpipes donated by RG Hardie & Co was won by Robert Smyth from Ardrossan with the NI Children’s Hospice benefitting by the £1000 raised.

While the large turnout of spectators enjoyed the beautiful weather I can imagine that some pipe majors struggled tuning their pipe corps in the heat however for the spectators it was ideal conditions in which to enjoy the piping, drumming and drum majoring. In Grade 4B Kildoag continued their local contest winning streak also taking the drum corps title while local band St Mary’s Derrytrasna won 4A with Cullybackey securing the drumming prize. Another local band Battlehill won 3B with Quinn Memorial lifting the drum corps prize.

In 3A Drumlough made it three local competitions in a row while the Upper Crossgare drummers had their first win of the season. Closkelt had a decisive win in Grade 2 with their drummers also getting in on the act. PSNI won Grade 1 by a single point over local band Bleary & District who won the drumming. It was all change in the Adult Drum Major section with Jason Price breaking the domination of Alicia Hamilton and Lauren Hanna.

Emma Barr had another win in the Juvenile with Jamie Cupples (Junior) and Louis Anderson (Novice) the other winners. Congratulations to Drum Major Alicia Hamilton who was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Northern Ireland in the recent Queens Birthday Honours List.

Results: Grade 1. 1^st PSNI (also M&D), 2^nd Bleary & District, (also Best Drums and Bass Section), 3^rdRavara, 4^th Closkelt. Grade 2. 1^st Closkelt (also Best Pipes, Drums, Bass Section and M&D), 2^ndThiepval Memorial. Grade 3A. 1^ST Drumlough (also Best Pipes), 2^nd Marlacoo & District [also M&D], 3^rd Upper Crossgare (also Best Drums and Bass Section), 4^th Matt Boyd Memorial.

Grade 3B. 1^stBattlehill, 2^nd Quinn Memorial (also Best Drums and Bass Section), 3^rd McNeillstown, 4^th Maj. Sinclair Memorial (also M&D). Grade 4A. 1^st St. Mary’s Derrytrasna, 2^nd McDonald Memorial (also M&D), 3^rdMcNeillstown, 4^th Cullybackey (also Best Drums and Bass Section). Grade 4B. 1^st Kildoag (also Best Drums), 2^nd Gransha, 3^rd Ballyboley, 4^th Bessbrook Crimson Arrow, 5^th Sgt. Walker Memorial. Best Bass Section: Maj. Sinclair Memorial. M&D: Kirkistown.

Drum Majors: Adult. 1^st Jason Price (Ravara), 2^nd David Brownlee (Derryclavin), 3^rd Alicia Hamilton (Matt Boyd Memorial), 4^th Lauren Hanna (Lomond & Clyde), 5^th Andrea McKeown (Battlehill). Juvenile. 1^st Emma Barr (Field Marshal Montgomery), 2^nd Lana Gibson (Ballyboley), 3^rd Emily Crooks (McNeillstown), 4^th Jason Nicholl (Tullylagan), 5^th James Kennedy (Closkelt).

Junior. 1^st Jamie Cupples (Aughintober), 2^nd Rachel Lowry (Armaghbreague), 3^rd Kathy Hunter (Manorcunningham), 4^thAbigail Wenlock (Shotts & Dykehead), 5^th Rebecca Hamilton (Tullylagan). Novice.1^st Louis Anderson (Crozier Memorial), 2^nd Carys Graham (Upper Crossgare), 3^rd Leanne Crooks (Syerla & District), 4^thBenjamin Walker (Battlehill), 5^th Louise Smiton (Closkelt).

---

[wds id=”6″]